


Stay Out Late

by twtd



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Hecate is oblivious, Pippa knows exactly what she's doing, wine and beer!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 11:10:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15750477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twtd/pseuds/twtd
Summary: Pippa gets a little drunk and asks Hecate out. Hecate doesn't exactly realize they've been dating.***"It really is you," Pippa sighed contentedly. "Do you know, you're just the thing to make this night perfect?" She looked up at Hecate with a goofy grin on her face. Before Hecate could respond, Pippa grabbed her hand and turned back to the group."Everyone, this is Hecate Hardbroom, the deputy head at Cackle's and potions mistress extraordinaire. She doesn't much go in for modern magic, so she'll probably scowl at you lot, but she's my very favorite person, so don't you dare scowl back."





	Stay Out Late

**Author's Note:**

> x-myheart on tumblr came up with the idea of Hecate and Pippa dating without Hecate realizing it and funkycook63 and someone anonymous wanted drunken Pippa. The two merged together and we ended up with this.

"And that," Pippa laughed, "is when Thomas tripped over Eugenia and they both landed in the hedge." Pippa laughed again as the table joined in with her. The modern magic conference had gone exceptionally well, and now Pippa was out to dinner with a few of the other organizers. They were all well on their way to happily drunk. The bottles of wine scattered about the table didn't encompass the cocktails they had had before their meal or the digestifs they were enjoying now. Pippa would certainly regret it all in the morning, but that was tomorrow Pippa's problem and current Pippa didn't care to worry about it. 

Just as she was about to start another anecdote, she caught sight of Hecate walking through the restaurant, obviously having just finished a dinner of her own. 

"Hecate," Pippa called out, perhaps a bit too loudly for the location, but no one really paid her any mind. As soon as Hecate looked over, Pippa waved her down. Hecate approached the table with trepidation. She had never encountered a truly drunk Pippa before. Their childhood friendship had ended before alcohol became available and their current relationship rarely involved more than a glass or two of wine. Pippa certainly seemed chipper enough, but that could change. 

"Pippa," Hecate responded as she came to a stop beside Pippa's seat. Pippa beamed up at her. 

"It really is you," Pippa sighed contentedly. "Do you know, you're just the thing to make this night perfect?" She looked up at Hecate with a goofy grin on her face. Before Hecate could respond, Pippa grabbed her hand and turned back to the group. 

"Everyone, this is Hecate Hardbroom, the deputy head at Cackle's and potions mistress extraordinaire. She doesn't much go in for modern magic, so she'll probably scowl at you lot, but she's my very favorite person, so don't you dare scowl back." Pippa wagged a free finger at them. 

Hecate's eyes went wide at Pippa pronouncement and her eyebrows climbed up her forehead. The rest of the table thought it a marvelous joke and joined in laughing. Hecate stiffened. 

"Miss Hardbroom," one of the gentlemen said, "well met and it's lovely to meet you." He touched his forehead in good humor.

"Well met," Hecate said dryly. She doubted any of the occupants at the table would remember meeting her in the morning. She went to raise her hand but found it still caught in Pippa's and Pippa seemed disinclined to let go. She made the gesture with her off hand instead despite how awkward it felt. "Well met, all of you," Hecate continued, "but I really should be heading back to Cackle's." She tried to disentangle her hand, but instead, Pippa hopped up out of her seat. 

"I'll see you out," Pippa said and Hecate was stuck ushering Pippa through the restaurant. She walked a few feet down the sidewalk before Pippa tugged and forced Hecate to turn around. As soon as Hecate was facing her, Pippa wrapped her arms around the other woman. Hecate desperately tried to control herself. Pippa was drunk. Nothing Pippa said or did actually meant anything and Hecate would do well to remember that. Still, Hecate couldn't stop herself from giving Pippa a small hug in return. 

"It's the truth, you know. You really are my very favorite person," Pippa said as she looked up at Hecate. "I wish you would stay, but I understand why you won't. Will you come to dinner next week? Just the two of us at Pentangle's?" 

"I…" Hecate shifted in Pippa's arms. She wanted to say yes. Dare she? "I'll see you next week." Would Pippa even remember that she asked? Hecate would see. 

"Excellent." Pippa leaned up at kissed Hecate's cheek, lingering there much longer than was standard. Eventually, she had to pull away though. 

"Are you okay to get home?" Hecate had to ask before she could actually let herself leave. 

"We're all staying at the hotel down the street for the night. I'll be fine." Pippa squeezed Hecate's hands and finally let go of her.

"Have a good night then," Hecate said. The last thing she saw before she transferred away was Pippa waving at her.

***

"But that's exactly why modern magic is so useful." Pippa refilled both hers and Hecate's wine glasses without a second thought. It was her third, no fourth, glass. She was pretty sure Hecate was only starting her second. "It's flexible enough to use in every situation."

"And I think we've both seen instances where traditional magic was the better choice," Hecate said pointedly. How did their conversations always come back around to this?

Pippa hummed in response neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She let her head loll back against the back of the couch. Silence descended on them as Pippa seemed to float through her own thoughts. 

"I know I haven't convinced you," Hecate said. 

"No, but I do love debating with you," Pippa responded. "It's lovely," Pippa said dreamily. Hecate looked back at Pippa. "This debate. We never used to do this."

Hecate thought that their entire adult relationship was based on a debate. "We do this all the time," she said. 

"I meant when we were girls," Pippa replied. "I suppose we were too young then, to have such different philosophies." Pippa sipped her wine, rolling it around in her mouth before swallowing it. Hecate watched the way Pippa's throat worked. What would it be like to press her lips against it? She wanted to find out, and at times she thought Pippa might let her, but they were all nights like tonight when it felt like everything was wrapped in cotton wool. It felt even more so with Pippa so deep into her cups and clearly feeling introspective. "Do you ever wonder what might have happened if we had stayed friends?" Pippa asked.

Hecate flinched. She tried not to wonder. She wondered whenever she thought of Pippa. "I… I shouldn't have--" Pippa waved her off. 

"I'm not looking for an apology. I just… would you be so wedded to traditional magic if I had gotten my claws into you while we were in university?" Pippa flexed her fingers, a lopsided smile on her face. "I know I wouldn't have been as wild if you had been with me. Not that I have regrets. Or at least too many regrets. I probably didn't need to go to the lake with Killian and miss that modern chanting history test." 

"Killian?" Hecate tried to sound uninterested but didn't quite pull it off. Pippa waved her away again. 

"A passing fancy. Nothing at all like _you_ ," Pippa said. She held a hand out to Hecate and Hecate really had no choice but to take it. Once she did, Pippa pulled Hecate over to join her on the couch. Hecate nearly tripped over her own feet but managed to recover in time to sit with dignity. 

"You know, I was never able to completely banish you from my thoughts. I'd go to do something particularly ill-conceived and the voice inside my head would be there asking 'what would Hecate do?'" Pippa leaned against Hecate's shoulder and Hecate automatically accommodated her. "I was particularly cross with you that night with Killian, so I said 'screw Hecate' and went off and did it despite my better judgment. It was a terribly uncharitable thought and I'm sorry now that I even had it." Pippa turned her face and kissed Hecate's cheek. 

It amazed Hecate that Pippa would even pause over having ill thoughts of her. She deserved them after the way she had abandoned Pippa. "I'm sure I deserve whatever ill thoughts you've had of me over the years."

"You don't," Pippa said as she pulled Hecate's arm around her where she could settle more comfortably on her shoulder. Hecate wondered just how she had gotten in that position, with her arms practically around Pippa. She needed to be careful. 

"I have to go to a party next week. It's the 100th anniversary of something or other." Another non sequitur. 

"Oh?" Hecate responded. 

"Mmmm." Pippa squeezed Hecate's hand. "It's going to be dreadfully dull. I'm only going because I need to speak with Imelda," Pippa said. "And it's easier than getting an appointment with her." Pippa huffed. "She's been dodging my mirror calls. Anyway, I thought if you would come with me, it would make the night more tolerable." Pippa looked up at Hecate through her eyelashes, and oh, Hecate knew she would do anything when Pippa looked at her like that. 

A party? Why would Pippa want her, of all people, to attend a party with her? Still, she couldn't bring herself to say no. "I suppose I could go for a few minutes," Hecate caved. 

"Oh, would you?" Pippa smiled brightly. "I could kiss you." 

Hecate knew she looked panicked as Pippa twisted around to hug her and press a kiss to her cheek. Right. That sort of kiss. Hecate couldn't let her imagination run away from her like that. She needed to leave before she embarrassed herself. "I believe it's time for me to be getting back to Cackle's," Hecate said.

Pippa's arms tightened around Hecate as if she didn't want to let go before she finally released her. "Alright," Pippa responded. Pippa stood and Hecate joined her. "I'll see you next weekend, though." She took Hecate's hand and squeezed it before dropping it. "I promise I'll make it worth your while." 

Hecate flushed. Pippa did not mean it like that. Pippa was not flirting with her. "Yes," Hecate said. "Until next week."

***

"Hecate," Pippa caught Hecate's hand as soon as she stepped into the room. It was almost as if Pippa had been waiting for her, but that was preposterous. Pippa had people to talk to, people she probably wanted to talk to. Hecate was there simply to fulfill her promise to Pippa, to stand in a corner, interact with as few people as possible, and then leave. Yet, here was Pippa, arm threaded through her arm and pulling Hecate into the room. "Come have a martini with me," Pippa said as she directed Hecate to the bar set up off to the side of the main entryway. Pippa ordered a drink but Hecate demurred.

"How many of those have you had?" Hecate asked. She didn't want to sound like a nag, but Pippa had said she needed to speak with Imelda about something important and she would do what she could to make sure the meeting ended successfully. 

"Don't worry, this is only my second," Pippa responded. She took a sip of her martini as she looked around the room. She still hadn't let go of Hecate's arm. 

"Imelda is just over there," Hecate pointed out. Maybe Pippa could get her meeting over with and they could leave. 

"Oh, we've already spoken and set up a better time to talk." Pippa smiled blindingly up at Hecate. 

"You have?" Why had Pippa made it sound like such an impossible task? Or had Hecate merely assumed it would be? 

"It went much better than I could have hoped. I thought I'd be hunting her down all night, but now I get to spend my time with you." 

Hecate stiffened. If Pippa had already secured her meeting, and Pippa truly didn't want to be at the party, they could both leave. Of course, she knew it wasn't that simple. She couldn't very well walk in the door then walk back out again. She would have to stay for some polite amount of time before she could depart. 

"Oh, don't be cross, Hecate," Pippa said. "I really did think it would take much longer for me to corner Imelda." Pippa squeezed Hecate's arm under her hand. Hecate used her free hand to smooth down her dress. 

"Yes, well," Hecate responded as she looked around uncomfortably. Just then Ada materialized out of the crowd and headed toward them. Hecate sighed in relief. 

"Well met, Hecate. Pippa." Ada touched her hand to her forehead. Hecate and Pippa returned the gesture. "I wasn't aware you had any interest in the museum," Ada said, "or we would have included you on the guest list." Hecate had forgotten Ada was on the board of the museum. 

"I… Pippa asked that I accompany her," Hecate managed to choke out. Why was it so hard to say something so simple? Pippa beamed at Hecate's side. 

"Ah. Say no more." Ada gave Hecate a knowing smile. What, exactly, did Ada think she knew?

"And we were actually about to take our leave if you don't mind," Pippa added. Hecate startled. Were they? Another knowing looking passed between Ada and Pippa. 

"Of course," Ada said. "You two should go enjoy your night. I'm sure you'll have far more fun than the rest of us." She smiled a kindly smile and shooed them off. Pippa sat down her martini glass and used the hand she already had on Hecate's arm to guide her from the reception and outside. 

"There's a bar just down the street I thought we might go to if you survived the party," Pippa said already heading in that direction. 

"If you'd like," Hecate responded. They walked in silence to the bar, leaving Hecate with nothing but her own thoughts. Why had Pippa invited her to the party if she was able to escape so easily on her own? She hadn't needed Hecate there to keep her company. Hecate had barely done anything at all. Pippa let go of Hecate's arm long enough to open the door to the bar before she took Hecate's hand. Hecate startled again. Pippa found a table off to the side for them to sit at and moments late they both had glasses of white wine sitting in front of them. Hecate hadn't even remembered ordering or perhaps Pippa had ordered for her. Hecate tasted it. It was pleasant enough for their surroundings. Pippa leaned back in her chair, her ankles coming to rest against Hecate's. Hecate held her breath and waited for Pippa to say something about it. 

"I have a confession to make," Pippa started. Hecate raised her eyebrows. 

"A confession?" What could Pippa need to confess? Did she not mean to invite Hecate to the party? Had it just been the wine? Hecate could understand that. She wasn't much good at parties. Was this where Pippa asked her to go where she could go back to the museum?

"Mmm," Pippa said. "I knew it wouldn't take long for me to get that meeting with Imelda. I simply, well…" Pippa looked at her sheepishly. "I just wanted to spend time with you and I thought you might say no to another dinner quite so soon after our last one." 

Hecate felt gobsmacked. "I… You didn't…" Except Pippa was right. If Pippa had invited her to dinner again, she would have declined, convinced the invitation wouldn't have been genuine. No one voluntarily wanted to spend that much time with her, even if Pippa mirrored her nearly every third night. 

"Well, I'm here now," Hecate said. 

"Yes, you are," Pippa replied. She scooted her chair around the table until they were practically thigh to thigh. Pippa took Hecate's hand again. She ran her thumb against Hecate's palm and Hecate tried hard to suppress a shiver. "And I'm so happy about it." Pippa kept playing with Hecate's hand, running her fingers over the back of it, rubbing at her palm, stroking at her fingers, and Hecate let her. It made butterflies alight in her stomach and her breath catch. 

"You have such lovely hands," Pippa said. "I can imagine you doing all sorts of things with them."

Hecate coughed and blushed. There was no way Pippa meant it the way it sounded. "Like what?" Hecate said roughly. 

"Making potions, mainly. Chopping things and grinding them up and measuring them oh so carefully." Pippa laced her fingers through Hecate's. Hecate's cheeks got redder and her breathing more labored. Pippa looked up at Hecate and Hecate practically swooned. She was a grown woman. She did not swoon. Pippa couldn't know what she was doing to her. Hecate couldn't let her know. She carefully extracted her hand. At some point, she had finished her glass of wine. 

"I have a question for you," Pippa said. 

"Of course," Hecate replied. Hecate dreaded the question as she had dreaded Pippa's earlier confession.

"Will you go to the magical symphony with me next week? They're doing Newt's Third and you know it's simply my favorite. Don't make me go alone." Pippa leaned into Hecate. Her breast pressed against Hecate's arm and Hecate's brain short-circuited. Why was Pippa suddenly so intent on spending time with her? Certainly she had other friends she could invite out. 

"I…" 

"Say yes," Pippa pleaded. "Say yes, Pippa, I'd love to go with you because I love Newt's Third almost as much as you do."

Hecate sighed. Pippa was right. She did love Newt's Third nearly as much as Pippa did. They had talked about it at over one of their mirror calls. "I'd love to go with you, Pippa." Hecate risked putting her hand over Pippa's and squeezing it. 

"Hooray," Pippa said quietly as she smiled back at her. "I suppose you have to be going now." For once, Hecate was loathe to go, but it was getting late. 

"I'm sorry, but yes." She slowly relinquished Pippa's hand as she stood. "I'll see you next Saturday."

"You know I'll mirror you before then."

"I know." Hecate smiled at Pippa fondly before she transferred away.

***

Hecate stood contentedly in the atrium of the concert hall nodding at the occasional passerby who looked her way. Some of them she recognized, some of them she didn't, but she was having a good night and it lent itself to her being polite. Pippa was off in the powder room, which gave Hecate a bit of time to catch her breath. Pippa had looked stunning in her dark maroon dress and Hecate had spent most of the night fighting the urge to stare at her rather than watch the musicians. She feared she was failing in her task. She, herself, had decided to wear dark blue, a change from her usual black and worth it for the look of appreciation in Pippa's eyes when they had first met up.

"Hecate," Pippa's voice came from behind Hecate and she turned to face her. "You'll never believe who I found at the refreshments table." Pippa had two welcome glasses of champagne in her hands, and next to her stood Dimity Drill. 

"Miss Drill," Hecate said in surprise as she smoothly took a glass from Pippa's outstretched hand. "I wouldn't have expected to see you here tonight." Was there some other event happening in the complex, perhaps?

"I like more than just broomsticks, you know. I've lots of varied interests," Dimity said somewhat affronted. 

"My apologies," Hecate said and found it wasn't as forced as it could have been. Maybe spending time with Pippa made her more charitable. 

Dimity waved her off. "It's nothing, HB. I was just pulling your chain a little." 

Hecate narrowed her eyes. She did not like being the subject of jokes. Before she could say something to that effect, Pippa laced their arms together and pressed herself into Hecate's side. "What did you think of the Mozart? I know it isn't typical for witching symphonies to play ordinary pieces, but I thought they did an excellent job with it," Pippa said. It soothed Hecate's nerves more than a direct comment ever could. 

"I appreciate the order of the Mozart," Hecate replied. Everything just fit together so perfectly.

"I liked it well enough," Dimity smiled and drank her own champagne. "I'm excited for the Newt though." 

"That makes three of us," Pippa smiled just as the house lights flashed. "I believe that's our cue." Pippa plucked Hecate's glass from her hand and placed both of them on the tray of a passing server. "It was good seeing you again, Dimity." 

"You too, Pippa," Dimity replied as she headed off toward her own seat. 

"Shall we?" Pippa asked Hecate as she took her hand. Hecate was getting used to feeling Pippa's hand in hers and simply squeezed it back. 

"Certainly." She headed down the aisle and allowed Pippa to precede her into the row. As soon as they sat down, Pippa rested her head against Hecate's shoulder.

"I'm so glad you decided to come with me." She turned her face and pressed her forehead and nose against the outside of Hecate's shoulder. Hecate could practically feel Pippa's smile before she pulled back and sat up straight again as the lights started to come down. 

"I'm glad I came as well," Hecate whispered. She didn't think twice about how Pippa's hand found hers.

***

"Say, HB, how was your date with Miss Pentangle?" Dimity looked over her shoulder at Hecate as she walked into the staff room. Hecate stopped in her tracks.

"My _what_?" Hecate exclaimed. What was Dimity talking about?

"Oh, did you and Pippa go out again this past weekend?" Ada looked up from her cup of tea. 

" _Again_?" Hecate's eyes went wide. 

"The other night when I ran into you at the symphony, weren't you out on a date?" Dimity asked. She didn't look like she was making fun of Hecate and Hecate knew Ada would never dare joke about her personal life. 

"And at the anniversary party. You were very keen on getting out of there." Ada added. "I thought, well…" She shrugged. 

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Hecate drew herself up to her full height. Were she and Pippa _dating_? Did Pippa think they were dating? Did Pippa even think of her like that? Hecate had no way of knowing. Surely Pippa would have said something. Or maybe she thought it was obvious. 

Dimity looked at Hecate like she had lost her mind. "You've really no idea?" 

"Excuse me," Hecate muttered as she turned on her heel and left.

***

Hecate almost stumbled off of her broom as she arrived at Pentangle's. She and Pippa had a mirror call scheduled for that evening, so she knew Pippa would be free, but this wasn't something she could discuss over a distance. She needed to be in Pippa's presence for this conversation. She made her way through the hallways to Pippa's rooms. She knocked on Pippa's door before she had time to stop and think about what she was doing. She'd had time enough for that on the flight over and she still didn't know what she was going to say.

"Yes?" Pippa looked around her door and startled when she saw Hecate. She reached up to remove her reading glasses and looked seriously at Hecate. "Hecate? Is everything alright?" She stepped back and let Hecate into her rooms. Hecate walked in and started pacing. Pippa merely let her. Finally, Hecate could take the silence no longer. 

"Are we dating?" Hecate asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Pippa. She nearly vibrated with nervous energy. 

"Aren't we?" Pippa asked in return, looking bewildered. 

"I…" Hecate furrowed her brow. "I don't know." 

Pippa reached out and took Hecate's hand. "Oh, Hecate," Pippa said. Hecate clung to Pippa's hand. "We're doing whatever you want to be doing." Pippa stepped closer to Hecate and looked up at her. "You just have to tell me what you want." 

"I…" Hecate looked down at Pippa. "I think if we've been dating, we've missed something important." She brought her free hand up to push a bit of Pippa's hair behind her ear. 

"Oh?" Pippa asked. She barely had time to take another breath before Hecate's lips met hers. Hecate's breath caught in her chest and her mind blanked. Her thoughts zeroed down to nothing but the softness of Pippa's lips beneath hers. Pippa's arms came up around Hecate's neck and Hecate deepened the kiss. She might not have realized they were dating, but now that she had permission to kiss Pippa, she was going to take advantage of it. She pulled Pippa closer, finally allowed to put her hands where she had dreamed of putting them. 

"Oh," Hecate said as the kiss ended. Yes, that. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. "Would you like to go out with me next week?" Hecate asked. "There's a new exhibit at the British Witching Arts Museum that you'll like." 

"I'd be thrilled to go out with you," Pippa said. 

"Good," Hecate said. "Good." She wasn't prepared when Pippa pulled her down into another kiss and shivers ran down her spine. 

Hecate finally had to pull away. "I should," she swallowed. "I'm sure it's gotten late."

Pippa smiled indulgently. "You know it isn't a school night." She pecked Hecate on the lips. "You're allowed to stay out late."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are amazing and I'm on tumblr [@twtd11](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/twtd11)


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